A Trial of Loyalty
by Bradoa
Summary: Sakuya has been away from the Scarlet Devil Mansion for almost a whole day after acquiring a certain set of knives. What has she been doing without Remilia's orders? Touhou 14:DDC.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or settings that appear in this story.**

**AN: This story begins in the final stage of Touhou 14: Double Dealing Character. Japanese/Chinese names are given in family name first name order. Western names are given in first name last name order. Some headcanons are used in regards to character powers.**

"Now, my treasured mallet! Lead this lost lamb to our resistance!"

"Small bullet, Inchling's Thorny Path!"

Hundreds of danmaku beads began swarming around Sukuna Shinmyoumaru, the final obstacle standing before Izayoi Sakuya and her eerie knives. Sakuya threw dozens of knives at the inchling, all of the cursed weaponry finding their mark.

The beads flew rapidly in all directions, but Sakuya gracefully grazed through the screens of danmaku with ease as they began to slow down.

A ridiculously sized bowl appeared around the inchling and more danmaku this time both big and small began to rain down from the bowl. Once more Sakuya dodged with the gracefulness worthy of her Mistress and sent more knives to deal with the inchling and her bowl.

Sakuya remained untouched as Shinmyoumaru sent thousands of danmaku in different patterns at the maid.

"Aargh, why won't you get hit?!" the inchling screamed in frustration. "You could have joined our resistance! You are a slave to your tools as a sheep is to its shepherd!"

"The only person whom I am a slave to is Milady!"

"Achoo."

Remilia Scarlet, mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, five hundred years old immortal vampire, and manipulator of fate, sneezed. Ignoring the inexplicable action, Remilia drank the tea prepared by the fairy maids. _Disgusting._

"I didn't know vampires could get a cold, Remi." Patchouli Knowledge was reading one of the many tomes in the library, before shutting the book and handing it to her familiar. "Koakuma, fetch me the next volume on the top shelf in the witches section." The succubus obliges and flies off into the depths of the library.

"We don't get sick Patchy, but something feels off ever since Sakuya went out." Remilia was sure her chief maid would be fine, _no one could even touch Sakuya, except maybe Reimu and Marisa._

"Sakuya has been out for almost the whole day now, hasn't she?" Patchouli opens the new book that Koakuma handed to her. On the cover is the image of a black and white witch.

"I want Sakuya back, the tea that the fairy maids make is disgusting. Why did I even hire them?"

"Remi, didn't you say it was to make Sakuya's job easier?"

"Ignorant lamb, taste the power of the Magical Mallet! Mallet, Grow Even Bigger."

Sakuya for the first time in this encounter experienced confusion as the inchling appeared to grow even smaller in spite of her spell card. _No,_ _I'm the one growing bigger._

Knives began pouring from Shinmyoumaru and Sakuya was clumsy in maneuvering her larger body. The knives made deep cuts on her right crus, left thigh, both arms, and right hand, along with her maid uniform being torn apart at the edges. Sakuya continued struggling to avoid the onslaught of danmaku knives.

Sakuya saw that a knife was about to stab itself into her stomach. Sakuya brought out her stopped stop-watch. _Come on! _Her hands were trembling in bloodlust and nearly dropped the antique.

"Illusion World, Za Waru-kuuh."

But the maid about to stop time was too late.

Sakuya blacked out for a fraction of a second. The knife made contact with Sakuya's solar plexus but left no mark.

Sakuya's mind became a haze, her vision and thoughts obscured by a scarlet tint.

"Hahaha, I win this danmaku duel, now go home to your pitiful mistress, you big lamb." Shinmyoumaru was filled with glee by her hard-earned victory against the maid, and by extension Seija, but the first victory of the inklings was soon interrupted.

"Demon Weapon, Silver Another Dimension!" Sakuya activated the spell card that came with her cursed knives, clearing whatever danmaku Shinmyoumaru threw out and rapidly threw out more of her cursed knives in succession.

Shinmyoumaru was unable to dodge the (danmaku?) knives in her state of shock. Blood began flowing from the wounds on Shinmyoumaru. The inchling descended from the air to flee to the depths of the castle from the bloodthirsty maid. _She stopped following the rules?!_

"That should have stopped whatever plans they had against Milady." Sakuya was the picture of grace, even as blood began flowing from her cuts and her vision became increasingly red.

_Oh no, I need to make dinner for Milady!_

Sakuya flew out of the airborne castle into the clear full moon sky of Gensokyo. She didn't notice it got so late due to the storm clouds caused by the Tsukumo sisters. The maid panics for Remilia in her crimson haze.

What will she do to appease her Mistress?

_I'll get her a gift. She hasn't had human blood ever since Reimu came._

Determined to please her Mistress, Sakuya headed towards the Human Village with her cursed knives gleaming.

"Oh hello, Izayoi-san. It's quite late to be shopping right now." The guard at the village gate greeted the maid respectfully.

"But I'm not here for groceries today, I need to hunt for my Mistress's food today." There was a red glow surrounding Sakuya's grey eyes.

"Aaaahhh!" the guard screamed in shock and pain as he found knives strewn throughout his chest. The guard began to fall forward but was caught by the maid.

The guard was bleeding profusely from his chest after Sakuya collected her cursed knives, leading Sakuya to a worrying conclusion. _How am I going to prepare the blood for Mistress?!_

Sakuya spent the next few minutes trying to think of a way of delivering the blood to her vampire Mistress after she stopped time for the guard's body. However, Sakuya's deliberation was interrupted by Kamishirasawa Keine in her full moon were-hakutaku form.

Keine was bewildered by the scene she arrived at after hearing a scream. Several thin streams of blood were frozen, connecting the chest of the guard's floating body to the ground with an almost dried puddle of the crimson liquid. Keine's confusion quickly turned into rage as she processed the scene before her.

"Izayoi-san did you break the rules!" Keine's red eyes glowed a brilliant vermillion in front of the torch-lit gate.

"The rule to not harm the humans of the village are for the youkai like you, Kamishirasawa-san." The human stated to the two-horned Half Beast of Knowledge and History.

"So you killed Yamato-san!" Keine shouted and her eyes began to glow even brighter. The history of the wounds dealt by the inchling was recreated by the were-hakutaku, but this time there were no danmaku rules in use. Blood flowed from the wounds and Sakuya experienced the pain of a metaphorical thousand cuts throughout her body.

At this moment, a spark of inspiration arrived in Sakuya's blood addled mind. _I could offer my own blood to Milady!_

Sakuya flew as fast as she could in her injured, yet joyful state towards the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

"No, get back here, you dog!"

The body of Yamato continues its fall towards the earth and hit the ground with a _thump_. Keine calls for help from the human village. The hakutaku created a history of medical supplies by the gate and tried to stop the bleeding from his chest. The stab wounds cut into his ribs and were stopped by the bone.

Yamato came to for a moment.

"Thank you, Keine-sensei." Yamato closed his eyes, but he was still breathing.

Droplets fell from the face of a youkai.

Sakuya arrived in front of the gatekeeper of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Hong Meiling, having lost a sizable portion of her blood from her wounds.

"What happened to you Sakuya-san?!" Meiling's voice was laced with worry and fear for the head maid.

"It's okay. I just need to give my blood to Milady." Sakuya was smiling while laying down, the cursed knives still have a dull glow.

"What are you talking about?! We need to get you treated by Lady Patchouli! You fairy maid right there, yes you. Get Lady Remilia and Lady Patchouli. Now!"

The sight before Remilia was impossible. _How could Sakuya be bleeding, how could she even be hurt this much! _

"Patchy, help her!"

"I'm trying to Remi! Koakuma get the healing spell materials!"

"Its okay Lady Patchouli. Milady, why don't you drink some of my blood, here." Sakuya lifts her right hand towards Remilia, but Remilia grasps it in her own.

"No Sakuya, you idiot! You need to stay alive for as long as possible, you didn't even let me turn you. Don't you dare die on me now!" Remilia's power to manipulate fate was nowhere to be seen for now.

Koakuma came back with mandrake roots, vials of sulfuric acid, and various other materials.

"Milady, I insist, I'll feed you myself." Sakuya brought her hand out of the hold and towards the fangs of the vampire. But before the hand could reach its destination, it fell.

"SAKUYAAA!"

The soul of a maid flew across the night sky, towards a certain river.

**AN: Thanks for reading and please leave a review. Also looking for a beta reader.**

**CT Reader: I'm trying to be funny here, so let's try this.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: 10/31/2019, edits made to the final section of the boat ride.**

"Well well. Who do we have here?" A familiar easy-going voice from years ago ringed out.

Sakuya, her mind pure, experienced panic as she tried to open her eyes but felt no response. _Why can't I open my eyes!_ The chief maid experienced a dread that she only felt once before and the long, long time has since dulled the fear and terror of submission. Sakuya recalls the memory and the image once more becomes alive in her mind, her soul trembling in the process.

"Stop rocking the boat, would you. I thought you were supposed to be graceful and stuff, maid."

The identity of the speaker remains a secret to the Sakuya as in spite of her constant attempts, the blue eyes of the maid show nothing to her. In contrast with her usual over-competentness, the maid is struggling even with the simple task of opening her eyes, and her trials do not end there.

_Who are you? Where am I? _The words raced through her mind, but no words came out. Sakuya couldn't feel her mouth, her eyes, nothing. Willing for her arms, her legs, her fingers, her toes to **move**, all the same, nothing. The panic of the mind before expands itself to the entirety of the maid's being.

"I told you already! Stop moving the boat around! This is why I hate this job, your kind of soul is the worst!" The easy-going voice turns somewhat harsh, but the familiarity of the voice still does not yield the identity of its owner to the maid.

_My soul? What did that have to do with a boat rocking? _The bloody red memories of Sakuya's final day flood into her panicked, but now clear, mind. The absence of the sticky feeling of blood on her skin was but a passing thought before a far more alarming one reveals itself.

_I'm dead?_ Sakuya froze, mind and soul, before once more bursting with movement, but not out of panic. _But what about Milady, I still need to take care of the mansion's cleaning, the fairy maids simply won't do! And also Lady Patchouli needs to restock on her medicine, doesn't she?! And what if Lady Flandre needs another toy!_

"Seriously stop moving! I'm going to hit you with my scythe if you don't stop!" _Only Milady is allowed to scold me!_

_Wait._ A scythe, a boat, the voice, and that she was… dead. Sakuya finally gained some semblance of calm since her awakening and calmed down her thoughts and being even without having her body.

"Finally," Komachi Onozuka, shinigami, said, returning to her previous easy-going tone before sighing deeply. "I get that you died early and that you still have responsibilities or something to your precious _Lady Remilia,_ but seriously stop making my job harder, would you?"

_How dare she insult Milady's name!_ Rage flowed throughout Sakuya, but this time Sakuya maintains her composure and prevents herself from being overwhelmed by the anger. While tempering her emotions, Sakuya noticed that she was able to feel some sense of physical touch, or something akin to it. Her soul was laid bare and Sakuya could _feel more_ than what she could while alive.

The maid couldn't _see _Komachi for she no longer had eyes, but the eyes were a mere window for the soul. Sakuya _felt_ the rocking of the boat, the shivering depths of the Sanzu River, the sharpness of the shinigami scythe, and even the _red_ of Komachi's hair. After this revelation, there was something serene as Sakuya explored her new-found senses, but that serenity was quickly broken by a lazy reaper.

"Hey maid, you there? Actually, would you still be a maid anymore? I mean, you can't serve someone if you're dead." That fact hammered itself once more into Sakuya's mind.

_Oh, what will I do?! I left the mansion and Milady unattended for the whole day and I had the gall to just die in her arms. _The tension in Sakuya's mind rises once more, but her soul is no longer trembling.

"Mmmm mm mm mmm," Komachi started to hum in her boredom.

_I wasn't even competent enough to keep myself alive because of those knives. Can they take care of themselves without me? I haven't left Milady's side for over a day for the many years since that day. Can Meiling take over? No, she would just sleep on the job. _The fear of the maid made her very being freeze in terror and concern.

"Laaa la la laa." Komachi's humming increased in volume with the opening of her mouth.

Minutes and hours passed as Sakuya is worrying for the Scarlet Devil Mansion, honestly just as an extension of her concerns and fears for her Lady Remilia.

_What will I do?! Lady Remilia, I'm so sorry for leaving you so early! Why did I take those knives?! My failures can never be forgiven nor repaid! I should have just let my blood be drained that day!_ Sakuya couldn't take it anymore and her core began to shake with her emotions.

"Oh come on, and it was a peaceful ride for once. Ughh, why do I have this job."

* * *

The Scarlet Devil Mansion was abuzz with activity and fervor throughout the night. Koakuma and Meiling were running around the grounds, bringing the logs of the many trees that Flandre was felling with a gesture.

"Onee-sama, this is so fun! Play with me!" Dozens of trees hit the ground with a _thump_ as the younger Scarlet decimated the local wildlife.

"Not now Flandre," Remilia said with not quite irritation in her voice. The vampire was more angry than anything, but could not, would not let it show. The Lady of the Scarlet Devil Mansion must still compose herself, no?

"Remi, there's no way to make the ship completely safe. If it breaks along the way, we won't just lose Sakuya," Patchouli's voiced her concerns full of trepidation.

"That doesn't matter, Patchy! We **will** set sail by dawn. I will get Sakuya back, to hell with what that gap hag said!" Remilia, decorum half-forgotten spoke not just to Patchouli, but also herself.


	3. Chapter 3

The SS (Save Sakuya) Scarlet was 'ready' for its maiden voyage two hours before sunrise. Of course, being so rapidly constructed as the vessel was with only the immediately surrounding resources, the SS Scarlet was made of enchanted wood with a rough and jagged exterior. The ship had the size of a corvette class, but the only installations on the boat were the 'engine' and a steering mechanism.

The 'engine' of the SS Scarlet was an imitation of the 'engine' of the Sumiyoshi rocket ship that the Scarlet Devil Mansion built to go to the moon. That being the case, several issues arose.

"Remi, just because we have a shrine to the Sumiyoshi and shimenawa, we can't set sail. I'm not a shrine maiden, no one here is. Please Remi, we need to get Reimu. We can't lose you too after Sakuya," Patchouli pleads to her centuries-long friend, but her pleas went unconsidered.

"Patchy, we don't have any time to spare, start the prayer, we need to set sail now!"

"Please, Remi, at least try to stay safe. You know what would happen if the boat doesn't make it right?" Tears started falling out of her eyes.

Remilia, Meiling, and several fairy maids were on the deck as the SS Scarlet started moving across the Misty Lake towards the Sanzu river.

"Make sure the Mansion doesn't collapse when we come back with Sakuya, Patchy. Make sure Flandre won't be alone."

Even without a proper shrine maiden for the ritual dedicated to the Sumiyoshi gods, the ship was still enchanted by Patchouli to increase its speed and quickly exited Patchouli's field of vision.

Patchouli slowly walked towards the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Just as she was about to open the front door:

Patchouli's lungs begun constricting and the librarian struggled to breathe, going onto her knees. In a panic induced from all the recent events, Koakuma, who was walking behind her master, fumbled to take out an inhaler for Patchouli, accidentally dropping the device onto the ground in front of the magician.

Patchouli shakingly reached out her arms towards the inhaler and put it on her mouth. Pressing it, a sense of relief started spreading throughout Patchouli's body.

"I'm so sorry, Lady Patchouli! But please take a rest, this whole situation is making your body feel even worse."

"Not now, Koakuma. I need to make sure the mansion's space spells are still working, especially for the library. I can't rest now." Patchouli steadily got up from the ground with Koakuma's help.

"Please Lady Patchouli, you just had an asthma attack. You can't keep going on without taking care of your body first."

"Remi's risking her life right now! That boat might break before they get to Higan. Flowing water is already scalding towards vampires, then what about a river that is filled with dead souls!" Patchouli realized that she was shouting and her voice took a somber tone. "As her friend, I at least have to make sure our home stays standing."

In an unbefitting fashion, Patchouli grandly swung open the front doors and put on a mask of false bravado. "Gather the rest of the maids, we have work to do."

* * *

As dawn arrived in Gensokyo, the SS Scarlet already reached the Gensokyo riverbank of the Sanzu River.

Remilia stayed out on the deck as sunlight does not reach the mist-filled river of the dead, but her discomfort and dread only increased as the ship crossed to the other side.

The waters of the Sanzu Rivers were rough and deadly to all but its ferryman. Doubly so to a vampire, like Remilia. The pacific rivers that branch out from the Misty Lake already presented mild discomfort to the mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion and the Sanzu River has waves that could swallow warships.

"Milady, you should go inside, the water here definitely can't be good for you." Meiling was trying to make up for the inadequacies she had as a gatekeeper after… "Sakuya-san wouldn't want you to get hurt for her, after all."

"If a little water can stop me, then what will I do when I have to fight that reaper or the Enma or whatever else hell has." Water splashed onto the deck as the current became increasingly turbulent. Meiling tried to shield Remilia from the water and was successful in blocking most of it. The water that Meiling failed to block caused minor first-degree burns to the vampire.

Remilia howled in laughter.

"This is NOTHING compared to holy water. We need to go faster, fairy maids, start rowing on the right side of the boat. Meling, you are also rowing with them."

Remilia also took up a paddle along with everyone else and went to the left side of the boat by herself before being stopped by Meiling.

"Please save your strength, Lady Remilia, I beg of you. I can't be like Sakuya-san and protect you from all of the water."

"Nonsense, do you see these so-called 'burns,'" Remilia stretched out her right arm and pointed at one of the several burns on the arm. "They won't even leave scars after we are done with this and I can row just as much if not more than all of you combined."

"Yes, Lady Remilia," the gatekeeper bows her head before quietly muttering to herself. "I'm sorry for letting this happen, Sakuya-san."

Remilia was not boasting when she claimed her rowing ability, in fact, she had to slow down to not turn the ship as Meiling and the fairy maids struggled to keep up.

As Remilia continued rowing, more burns appeared on her pale skin and the sting became increasingly noticeable to the vampire, but the vampire would not let a current separate her from her maid.

* * *

Sakuya began accepting that she had prematurely left her mistress permanently. The maid was still extremely bitter with her death, but she knew that she had to be able to move on, regardless of how she was judged by the Enma.

Komachi's boat reached the docks of Higan, Sakuya's soul in tow. Komachi steps onto the deck first.

"Aaaahh, we're finally here." Komachi yawns once more. "Get up maid, we're going to the Ministry of Right and Wrong."

Sakuya stoo- floated up to Komachi's height and followed the reaper from the boat.

Half of an hour later, Sakuya's soul was in the center of a lantern-lit grand court in the Ministry of Right and Wrong. To her left and right stood statues of Horse-Face and Ox-Head respectively. In front of the maid, there was a throne. On top of which sat the Enma, a rod in her right hand and a mirror in her left.

Shiki Eiki Yamaxanadu opened her mouth and spoke the words:

"Sakuya Izayoi, loyal servant of the Scarlet Devil, Remilia Scarlet, you are pronounced to be-"


End file.
